hdkane Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 An acquaintance of mine has started a minimart in his condo complex. The fellow is a farang, with a Thai wife. The business is in her name and he has a proper work permit through the business license. The minimart has done fairly well, apparently well enough to attract the attention of police. A month into his operation, he was visited by the local police and asked to pay money. My friend refused, because all required documents are in order. It's been about six months, and occasionally the police return. They tell my friend that he "must pay". His response is always a polite "Why?". They always leave empty handed. I realize that most bar/massage shop owners pay the police because the real business is prostitution, which is illegal. But what about the other business ventures? Is it simply expected that all farangs must pay the police for "protection" or permission to operate? Is it only the businesses that skirt the legal system? Does my friend have anything to worry about? His take on the matter is that he has done everything to comply with laws in Thailand, and so he and the business is safe and secure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Mega Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 how did he get a work permit to be a check out chick/shelf stacker ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 I'd think the best approach is to let the Thai wife handle the entire matter from start to finish. No room for a falang in this caper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 One of my thoughts was the work permit too, l would hope his paperwork is all above board and not a pay off to some people which he does not know of or about. Maybe the police know something and it's only a matter of time. An acquaintance l knew wanted to start a business with his wife and the money amount alone for things because a farangie was involved was enough to put them off. Maybe not same kind thing but they also would of had to employ a certain number of Thai people in various job positions, it was gonna end up like Global house or Big 'C'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Off topic posts and replies have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Well there is no way of knowing if what you got is the whole story, but I would not pay either if I was above board. 100 Baht on the motorbike - yeah ok, extortion in a place of business - no. Just be polite and smile and "No Hab Monee" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveAustin Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Agree with the above; just be polite and say no. As soon as you put your hand in your pocket, you're an easy target for the 'protecters of the people'. Personally, there is no way I would start a business here. Just way too many invariables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackcab Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I know of a number of bars (real bars with no working girls at all) in Bangkok. Some pay, some don't. The only real difference is that on no alcohol days the ones that pay can often stay open if they are discrete. They can also open a bit late if a football match is halfway through. The ones that don't pay can not. In the OPs case, the business isn't going to get anything extra, so why pay? Just make sure that the foreigner with the work permit strictly sticks to their job description. That will mean no manual work and no sales. I guarantee you that the police will talk to the staff and find out what the OPs friend does. Foreigners who start businesses here are often the type that can turn their hand to anything, and if something simple needs fixing, they will fix it. Which is when the police will walk in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autanic Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I think your friend is screwed !!! In Thailand, when the Police walk into your business and ask for money, it is just a cost of doing business to give them something. A pack of cigarettes and 100thb, is better than letting them leave empty handed. Without knowing all of the facts we can't say too much, but things are doing differently here. Here, everyone has to make money or no-one can make money. If I was him, I would start a little petty cash, with some cheapo whiskey and cigarettes for the next time they come in. If they come once a month, then you will be fine. I think going against the cops like this, is only going to end one way. Him in the nick. Sorry to to tell your friend that he should tuck his tail on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Be aware please...... 11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfarang Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 The OP said; an acquaintance of mine has started a minimart in his condo complex. The fellow is a farang with a Thai wife. The business is in her name and he has a proper work permit through the business license. This is contradictory. If the Farlang started a business but it`s only in his Thai wife`s name and all he has is a work permit, then that means he is not a partner in the business and only an employee. If the Farlang is registered as a 50/50 business owner with his wife then that should be stated on the paperwork. What exactly is his position in that minimart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamukloy Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 As Cyberfarang pointed out, the story from the acquaintance doesnt pan out. How many Thai employees does he have? ....This is the telling factor if the venture is legal. As others have stated, it is financial suicide to start a small business like this, if having to meet all the proper governmental requirements. My opinion: the guy tells his farang buddies he has a work permit (probably terrified someone will dob him in) I suspect he's doing this 'under the radar' which attracted the police in the first place. If so, and the police only wanted a few hundred baht, he was very stupid to snub them. Thai Police....farang flips them the bird...loss of face... these cops scorned are probably now taking the case to their buddies higher up the line and preparing evidence/paperwork to come down on him. All the risks, outlaying money that can dissapear in an instant, vultures circling from every post.. The rewards: earning probably just barely enough to scrape by. gotta shake your head and wonder why they keep doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kowpot Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 If he can hold them off for another 20 years, he will have nothing to worry about. According to the PM, corruption will have ended by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheapskatesam Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Can Farang Tourist Police ask for protection money? I'd love to be a fly on the wall watching that happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbrenn Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 The business that I manage had a visit from the cops years back asking for us to pay for 'security'. We politely declined and they haven't bothered us since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisinth Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 12 years, 8 months and 4 days. That is the length of time the wife and i ran a bar/restaurant here, until we decided we wanted a quieter life. In all that time, there wasn't even one baht given to the police or any government official, and there was never one baht asked for. I had a drawer full of business cards and contact details of people to call 'in case of trouble', but never had reason to put myself in 'debt' with any of them. I am often amazed with the wisdom of some of the posters here who follow the urban myth that every business started, or even involving a farang, is automatically doomed to failure unless money is donated. Simply not true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 21 minutes ago, chrisinth said: I am often amazed with the wisdom of some of the posters here who follow the urban myth that every business started, or even involving a farang, is automatically doomed to failure unless money is donated. Simply not true. Years ago, I was in a few volunteer fire departments back in the USA. About once a year, we went door to door in our communities asking for donations to supplement the pitiful budgets we got from the governments. Contrary to urban myths, when the call came in, we had no clue whether that home was one who donated or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJohnson Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 Set up a business here in 1998. Never been approached, visited or asked for money by any police of government official. I'm sure it happens sometimes but not as systematically as some might think and certainly not just to farang so we can all put that conspiracy theory to bed. . Best advice I ever got - keep your head down below the parapets - it has worked so far. '......but its the principle of the thing...' I hear you say. Not here it isn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanemax Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 It is usually only rogue individual Police Officers who ask for money, it isnt the Police force as a whole . If the Policeman comes again asking for money, take his details down and ask him to attend a meeting with you him and the area chief of Police so that you can discuss how much you should have to give him, try to capture it on CCTV as well / I do recall a story from a few weeks ago where a Policeman went into a Thai establishment and asked for money, She then called the Police and some of his colleagues came and arrested him . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdkane Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 On 9/18/2016 at 8:25 PM, Strange said: Well there is no way of knowing if what you got is the whole story, but I would not pay either if I was above board. 100 Baht on the motorbike - yeah ok, extortion in a place of business - no. Just be polite and smile and "No Hab Monee" That's exactly what my friend has been doing for some time. He doesn't feel any problem with the situation, but it seems odd to me that the police keep returning, albeit infrequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdkane Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 On 9/21/2016 at 11:32 AM, chrisinth said: 12 years, 8 months and 4 days. That is the length of time the wife and i ran a bar/restaurant here, until we decided we wanted a quieter life. In all that time, there wasn't even one baht given to the police or any government official, and there was never one baht asked for. I had a drawer full of business cards and contact details of people to call 'in case of trouble', but never had reason to put myself in 'debt' with any of them. I am often amazed with the wisdom of some of the posters here who follow the urban myth that every business started, or even involving a farang, is automatically doomed to failure unless money is donated. Simply not true. Hello...may I ask where your business was located? My friend's small minimart is in a condo complex, in a part of BKK that is all Thai, except for a couple of exceptions. One respondent suggested that it is probably a lone officer who is just trying to "shake the tree" to see what happens. That seems like a pretty reasonable explanation to me, because nothing ever happens when my friend refuses to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdkane Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 On 9/20/2016 at 11:27 PM, cheapskatesam said: Can Farang Tourist Police ask for protection money? I'd love to be a fly on the wall watching that happen. The locale of my friend's minimart is not in an area with tourist police... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdkane Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 On 9/20/2016 at 1:40 AM, cyberfarang said: The OP said; an acquaintance of mine has started a minimart in his condo complex. The fellow is a farang with a Thai wife. The business is in her name and he has a proper work permit through the business license. This is contradictory. If the Farlang started a business but it`s only in his Thai wife`s name and all he has is a work permit, then that means he is not a partner in the business and only an employee. If the Farlang is registered as a 50/50 business owner with his wife then that should be stated on the paperwork. What exactly is his position in that minimart? My understanding, based on what the fellow has told me, is that the business is in his wife's name. He has a work permit through a company that is run by he and his wife. The company has a few different ventures, but the minimart takes most of their time. He is there most of the time, stocking and selling. He speaks very good thai, and so enjoys the interaction with customers who are also his neighbors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunpa Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) Main errors committed by your friend: 1) Farang involved in the business. 2) Indicating the business making money. My wife and I ended up closing our first business in Thailand because of this. As soon as the officials found out a farang was involved and we were making money, they immediately tried to prey on us. That business is now moved abroad to a more "white" and "business" friendly country. However, we never paid the officials any bribes although they tried their best to get it. We were facing blackmail payments between 200.000 THB and 1 Mll. THB with the treats of them making "problems" for us, if we did not pay. One time we were even demanded to pay for one of the Head-officials holiday trip to Pattaya, which we also refused. Every time I demanded an official claim for the money, which I of course never got. We had all these problems despite us also doing things legally and correct. The problem is, that when you deal with corrupt people, they will never believe you do things correct or legally, because they are so corrupt themselves. Doing business in Thailand sucks big time and no wonder the foreign investments here have dropped dramatically and will keep doing so. Racism, Envy and Easy Money is the only thing that drives the officials here and what in the end makes foreign businesses run far away. A shame for Thailand really, but they are just too stupid and greedy to "get it". Today my wife has her own hobby-business, that I stay far away from. I am sure problems would occur as soon as I showed my face there and I do not want anything to do with it. Best thing your friend can do, is stay far away from the business in all ways and just keep a low profile. Since it is only the police, I think not much will happen. Its far worse if it is the Revenue or Immigration Department. Of Course everything also depends on the location of the show and how corrupt the authorities are in that district. Legal or not, the laws will easily change to fit the benefit of the "blackmailer". Edited October 2, 2016 by khunpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisinth Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 2 hours ago, hdkane said: Hello...may I ask where your business was located? My friend's small minimart is in a condo complex, in a part of BKK that is all Thai, except for a couple of exceptions. One respondent suggested that it is probably a lone officer who is just trying to "shake the tree" to see what happens. That seems like a pretty reasonable explanation to me, because nothing ever happens when my friend refuses to pay. Yes, this was in Phitsanulok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanemax Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 People also need to bear in mind that since the Military took over , corruption has been clamped down upon . The Army are now policing the Police . The blatant corruption from pre coup times are no longer so blatant The Police are no longer a law unto themselves, they have the boys in green watching them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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